Official Luthiers Forum!

So I've build plenty of steel string and electric guitars, but I've been asked to make a nylon-string guitar for a client that is a big fan or argentinian tango music. This would be my first time doing a nylon-stringer, so I thought I ought to follow some reliable plans. I will have to adapt them, as the client wants a cutaway. I'm partial to the more round and curvacious shapes like the 1966 Ramirez, but in terms of sound: which plans would you use?
The tone of tango guitar music can vary quite a bit- the more traditional stuff is clearly brighter and more cutting, though not so much as old-school flamenco. Some newer players who treat it more as a mature art form are going for the deeper, sonorous concert classical tone. I think I would rather aim at the more dry and clear end of things. I'll be using maple or walnut for the back and sides, and some eastern white spruce for the top.

I would use a regular Torres braced, classical plan -

I grew up listening to this music (I am Argentinian, and still very much into the folk music, of which tango is one form). The sound comes from the nails, the lack of nails, or the use of various rasgueados. The artists have used a range of instruments to the cheapest homemade to the classic Spanish builders. There are some very good Argentinian builders as well... but no known plan for tango playing guitar.
Likewise if your friend likes the tangos - he may be interested in the other forms of music from Argentina. Let me know and I would be glad to share me playlist. As you can tell you hit upon one of my favorite topics

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

Hi, I'm from Argentina. This is a strange thing to see in this forum.

When Tango was very popular in Argentina we had several manufacturer that had the "tango model" which Gardel made very popular because of it's Rossette.
Something like this...


A clouse up here... http://gardelenbuenosaires.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/guitarras-de-gardel-y-razzano.html

¿Have you considerer that Rossette? Can't get more "tango" than that.

Regarding sound, i immediately relate the tango with a deep tone.

byebye

Wow, thank you very much. That rosette is fascinating. I don't think I will try to reproduce it though; too difficult!
I decided to get the 2003 Manuel Reyes flamenco plan; after your advice I think I will make the body a little bit deeper though.

I spent a couple of years recently living in Buenos Aires and built a guitar with a local luthier there...He's a very nice guy, speaks fluent English and I'd be happy to put you in touch with him if you're interested in getting in contact with some actual Argentine luthiers. The guy I know builds electrics mainly but he is very tied-in to the (very active) local guiter-building community.
Shoot me a line if interested: clucking (at) gmail [dot] com.
-Charlie

The GAL Reyes/Blackshear plan gives you a guitar that very much straddles the classical/flamenco world. I don't think you need a deeper body - it is a big guitar to start with. (They seem to like 'em big in Cordoba!) It also has a bridge that, if taken literally, gives you more of a classical setup than a flamenco. Apparently Reyes does build them with fairly high action - some flamenco players consider them to be unplayable. I've built two of these and like them a lot. I fiddle with flamenco on mine, and the other's owner plays classical on his.

I would beef up the center of the top a little compared to what is described in the plan. Mine has dished a little in front of the bridge, although it seems to be stable where it is. Or maybe a little arch to the lower transverse brace, which is flat in the plan.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu